July

A €710,000 hospital prescription negligence compensation settlement between the Health Service Executive (HSE) and a 69-year-old woman, who suffered a major stroke after she was discharged from a hospital without her blood thinning medication, has been approved at the High Court.

In addition to the €710,000 payment, annual care for the rest of her life in the region of €250,000 a year is also being provided and an apology from the HSE was read out in the High Court.

Mary Moss was allowed to leave hospital without her prescribed anticoagulants. She remained “unknowingly” without these for another six weeks. As a result of this lack of medication she suffered a major stroke and is now disabled.

The HSE apologised to Ms Moss and her family, through a court statement, and her family for any “shortcomings” the occurred during the treatment she was given at Sligo University Hospital. They said they regretted the huge upheaval that this has caused to the life of Ms Moss and her family.

Des O’Neill SC, acting for Ms Moss, told informed the Judge that she had suffered a stroke in 2010 and recovered well. However, in February 2018 she had experienced another ‘episode’ and her anti-thinning medication was amended in hospital. However, her medication was not included in her prescription given to her upon her discharge. Unfortunately, this mistake went unrecognised she suffered a stroke six weeks later.

Mr O’Neill said Ms Moss is, at present, in the National Rehabilitation Hospital, having made a good recovery. Her family plan are formulating plans to taking her back home to Ballymote, Co Sligo, as soon as they can. Her daughter Leanne Moss, speaking outside court, that she was happy to know that her mother’s care will be paid for annually and that this would help her family hugely. She said her mother is confined to a wheelchair s she suffers from left side paralysis following the stroke.

The family’s solicitor, Roger Murray, commented: “Thanks to a successful mediation, the family can now concentrate on getting the best possible care for their mother, and moving her home to the west where she is happiest.”